Michael McElroy is Cardinal & Pine’s political correspondent. He is an adjunct instructor at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and a former editor at The New York Times.
Michael McElroy
Latest from Michael McElroy
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Trump may dismiss rising costs, but they’re playing huge roles in the 2026 election
The president says he never thinks about how the Iran war is affecting household budgets, but the issue is top of the mind for North Carolinians ahead of the 2026 midterms.
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NC House boosts private school vouchers in override of Gov. Stein’s veto
Two former Democrats voted with Republicans to help provide federal tax credits to anyone donating to private school scholarship funds.
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Hantavirus poses little threat to North Carolina, Duke infectious disease expert says
A North Carolina resident was among the cruise passengers exposed to the deadly hantavirus outbreak, but Dr. Nicholas Turner of Duke University, told Cardinal & Pine why North Carolinians shouldn’t be worried.
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Republican budget deal is ‘smoke and mirrors,’ NC teachers say
The deal, announced this week by NC House Speaker Destin Hall and NC Senate leader Phil Berger would include 8% raises for teachers, but could create huge budget shortfalls in the years to come.
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Confronting the ghosts haunting healthcare in North Carolina
Cardinal & Pine’s Bad Medicine series sought to highlight the dangers that federal healthcare policy changes posed to North Carolina, especially its children. The series is ending, but the stories of courage and resolve endure.
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‘A lot of people are hurting’: Rising costs pummel North Carolinians, new report shows
A report from Defend America Action complies all the ways the Trump administration’s economic policies are “stoking a dire affordability crisis” in North Carolina.
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NC Congressman Chuck Edwards, accused of inappropriate relationship with staffer, faces ethics investigation
Edwards called the accusations politically motivated, but sources told Axios that his behavior “crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment.”
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Republicans’ Medicaid cuts could disrupt the healthcare that’s kept these NC kids alive
Republicans often equate the raw cost of Medicaid with waste and abuse, a dangerous oversimplification for families whose healthcare needs are both genuine and extremely expensive.
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In about face, NC Republicans agree to fund $319 million Medicaid shortfall
Since last August, Republicans repeatedly accused Democrats of lying about needing $319 million to fill a funding gap in the state’s Medicaid program. On Tuesday they provided just that amount.
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NC lawmakers return to Raleigh this week. Here’s what that means for Medicaid and teacher pay
The General Assembly returns for a “short session,” a legislative calendar that’s intended merely for tweaks, but will instead feature a lengthy to-do list of unfinished business and potential surprises.
